Sky News and the BBC have stood firm on their refusal to broadcast an emergency appeal for Gaza tonight on the grounds that it would jeopardise their neutrality as the corporation faced a growing revolt against the decision among its own journalists.

The BBC insisted it would not show the appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella group of humanitarian charities including Oxfam, Save the Children and the Red Cross, in spite of renewed pressure from the public, ministers and MPs.

Pressure is also growing among BBC journalists, with sources reporting "widespread disgust" within its newsrooms. Sources have said there was "fury" at the BBC News morning meeting today, with news editors saying they had not been consulted about the decision not to show the appeal, which will be broadcast tonight on ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five at about 6.20pm.

BBC journalists will tomorrow vote on a resolution put forward by the National Union of Journalists condemning the move, which has prompted more than 15,500 complaints to the corporation. The NUJ and broadcasting union Bectu have already written to the BBC describing the corporation's decision as "cowardly" and urging it to change its mind.

The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, ruled out a change of policy, saying it had a duty to cover the issue in a "balanced, objective way".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Thompson said: "Of course, everyone is struck by the human consequences of what has happened. And we will, I promise you, continue to report that as fully and as compassionately as we can. But we are going to do it in a way where we can hold it up to scrutiny. It's our job as journalists."

He denied his "arm had been twisted" by pro-Israeli lobbyists and said the BBC would continue to cover the humanitarian dimension of a "complicated and deeply contentious story".

But he conceded that one of the BBC's initial objections to the DEC appeal - that delivering aid to victims would be difficult - had "diminished" as a barrier.

The corporation's decision was backed by Sky. John Ryley, head of Sky News, said: "The absolute impartiality of our output is fundamental to Sky News and its journalism. That is why, after very careful consideration, we have concluded that broadcasting an appeal for Gaza at this time is incompatible with our role in providing balanced and objective reporting of this continuing situation to our audiences in the UK and around the world."

Most of the hostile reaction from critics of the decision was directed towards the publicly funded BBC. The Stop the War Coalition said there would be a "collective return" of BBC television licences later today at Broadcasting House in London and other BBC centres around the country for those people who opposed the BBC's refusal to broadcast an appeal.

A statement from the coalition said that a number of its supporters had already informed them that they had written to the BBC saying they had cancelled their direct debit for their television licence.

The culture secretary, Andy Burnham, said the BBC had the right to make its own decision about the appeal but Douglas Alexander, the international development secretary, Ben Bradshaw, the health minister, and Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, all criticised the BBC.

Shahid Malik, the justice minister, said he had not met anyone who supported the BBC's stance. About 60 MPs are backing an early day motion in the Commons urging the BBC to reverse its decision.

The prime minister's spokesman insisted the government was not going to "second-guess" a decision that was the BBC's to make. However, he added: "Clearly we support the appeal." An advert highlighting the DEC appeal was later placed on the Downing Street website.

The criticism from ministers appeared to irritate the BBC Trust chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, who said some were "coming close to constituting undue interference in the editorial independence of the BBC".

John Whittingdale, the Tory chairman of the Commons culture committee, also said the BBC had a right to make its own judgment. "It's very dangerous when you get ministers - members of the cabinet - telling the BBC to do something and reverse a decision," he added.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said the BBC should broadcast the appeal. The Golden Globe-winning actor Samantha Morton also joined the protests, saying she would never work for the corporation again if it failed to change its decision.

The Guardian understands that Brendan Gormley, DEC's chief executive, assured senior BBC executives that the money raised was "for all those affected by the recent conflict", including people in southern Israel. However, the BBC has said the DEC clearly indicated that the request was "solely for Gaza".